Friday nights in Indianapolis are the most dangerous time for young people, so in an effort to curb violence and offer mentorship, Safe Summer was created in 2019.
Safe Summer takes place on Friday nights now through Aug. 6 from 7 to 10 p.m. at Bethel Park, Frederick Douglass Park and Municipal Gardens for teens ages 13 to 18. The program provides free catered food and activities such as basketball, painting and kickball at each location while following all COVID-19 guidelines.
“Our goal for Safe Summer is to keep our young people safe, alive and successful,” said Shardae Hoskins, community resources coordinator for the Indianapolis Office of Public Health and Safety.
Indianapolis is the 37th most dangerous city in America, according to a CBS article about the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program. Almost 15% of minors in Indiana are living below the poverty line while 12.4% of households are experiencing food insecurity. About 12% of Hoosiers 18 to 24 who did not graduate high school are not working, and about 22 out of every 1,000 teen girls give birth.
Bwana Clements was to be Friday night’s guest speaker; he planned to give an “Empower” session. This session is based on the book he wrote, explaining Indiana laws in simple terms and what citizens have the right to do and not do when engaging with law enforcement.
“We thought this was a completely appropriate and highly needed conversation with our young people who, unfortunately, live in lots of areas that are over policed and patrolled, and they are interacting with law enforcement on a regular basis,” Clements said. “Knowledge is power.”